Patches is the con man of Elden Ring. You meet him as a boss at the end of a Limgrave cave, he begs for his life, and from then on he keeps turning up with a new trap, a shop full of useful items and a fresh excuse. His questline is short on combat but easy to break: the whole thing depends on sparing him the first time and talking to him at each stop before you move on.
| Starts | Murkwater Cave, Limgrave (chest at the end of the cave) |
| Stops | Scenic Isle (Liurnia), cliff west of First Mt. Gelmir Campsite, Volcano Manor, Shaded Castle |
| Ends | Back in Murkwater Cave, after the Shaded Castle meeting |
| Lock-out | Killing him in the first fight or at the Shaded Castle |
| Key rewards | Magma Whip Candlestick, Patches’ Crouch gesture, Grovel for Mercy and Calm Down gestures |
| Shop highlights | Margit’s Shackle, Stonesword Key, Sacrificial Twig (5,000 runes each, one in stock) |
Patches questline walkthrough, step by step
- Find him in Murkwater Cave. The cave is in central Limgrave and has its own grace near the entrance. Clear the bandits; the Bloody Finger Nerijus invader can also appear here. Opening the chest in the last room starts a fight with Patches.
- Accept his surrender. At around half health he gives up. Stop attacking and talk to him. Whether you say you forgive him only changes his lines; he turns friendly either way. Keep hitting him and he turns hostile again, and killing him here ends the quest.
- Reload and open his shop. Leave the area and come back. Patches now sells items and points you to the chest behind him. It is a trap that teleports you to a cell near Mistwood Ruins in east Limgrave. Escape, return and talk to him for the Calm Down gesture.
- Meet him at Scenic Isle. Once you reach Liurnia of the Lakes he moves to the Scenic Isle grace in the southern marsh, where he also sells unlimited Fan Daggers. He tells you to let an Abductor Virgin under the Raya Lucaria Academy waterwheel grab you. That trap carries you to the Volcano Manor cells; it is optional.
- Follow his trail on Mt. Gelmir. After you reach the Altus Plateau he waits on the cliff west of the First Mt. Gelmir Campsite grace. Follow his trail of Rainbow Stones to the edge; a cutscene shows him kicking you down. His shop is closed at this stop, so just fast travel out once you can.
- Join Volcano Manor. Accept Tanith’s invitation (see how to get to Volcano Manor). Patches appears in the entrance hallway northwest of the manor grace and reopens his shop.
- Take his assassination request. Once you have started Tanith’s requests, talk to Patches to get the Letter to Patches. The target is Great Horned Tragoth. Invade and defeat Tragoth, reload the area, then talk to Patches again for the Magma Whip Candlestick.
- Find him at the Shaded Castle. When you defeat Rykard, the God-Devouring Serpent, Patches leaves the manor. He is slumped on the walkway in front of the boss room of the Shaded Castle (the Elemer of the Briar arena). Talk to him for the Dancer’s Castanets and give them to Tanith.
- Finish it in Murkwater Cave. Return to the cave. He fights you once more but surrenders almost at once. Accept, talk to him and he teaches you the Patches’ Crouch gesture. Reload the area to reopen his shop.
Where is Patches? Every location in order
| Stop | Where exactly | Moves on when | Shop open? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Murkwater Cave | Last room of the cave, Limgrave | You reach Liurnia of the Lakes | Yes, after you spare him and reload |
| 2. Scenic Isle | Next to the Scenic Isle grace, south Liurnia | You reach the Altus Plateau | Yes, plus unlimited Fan Daggers |
| 3. Mt. Gelmir cliff | West of the First Mt. Gelmir Campsite grace | He kicks you off the cliff | No |
| 4. Volcano Manor | Entrance hallway, northwest of the manor grace | You defeat Rykard | Yes |
| 5. Shaded Castle | Walkway in front of the Elemer of the Briar arena | You talk to him and take the Castanets | No |
| 6. Murkwater Cave | Back in the last room | Final stop | Yes, after a reload |
Rewards and how to get each one
| Reward | How you get it |
|---|---|
| Grovel for Mercy | Taught when you spare him in Murkwater Cave |
| Calm Down | Talk to him after his chest trap, or at a later stop |
| Magma Whip Candlestick | Kill Great Horned Tragoth for the Letter to Patches, reload, talk to him |
| Patches’ Crouch | Accept his second surrender in Murkwater Cave after the Shaded Castle |
| Patches’ Bell Bearing | Drops if you kill him; give it to the Twin Maiden Husks in the Roundtable Hold |
| Spear +7 and Leather set | Dropped when he dies, with 800 runes and a Golden Rune [1] |
What to buy from Patches
- Margit’s Shackle (5,000 runes): pins Margit and Mohg, the Omen for a few seconds. Very useful before Stormveil.
- Stonesword Key (5,000 runes): one extra key for an imp statue; our Stonesword Key locations list the rest.
- Sacrificial Twig (5,000 runes): keeps your runes on one death.
- Parrying Dagger (1,600) and Estoc (3,000): one of each, handy for early Dexterity characters.
- Grace Mimic (100, 15 in stock) and Glass Shard (100, unlimited): cheap utility items.
Missable notes
- Do not kill him in the first fight. The quest ends there. You can still buy his stock from the Twin Maiden Husks with his Bell Bearing.
- Finish the Tragoth request before Rykard. Once Patches leaves Volcano Manor the Magma Whip Candlestick can no longer be earned from him. Beating Rykard early also ends the other manor questlines.
- Do not kill him at the Shaded Castle. That ends the quest and you lose Patches’ Crouch.
- If he turns hostile. If he drops you to low health, use the Grovel for Mercy gesture before he finishes you and he calms down.
Related questlines: White Mask Varre and Sellen.
FAQ
Should you kill Patches in Elden Ring?
Not until the end. Sparing him keeps his shop, the Magma Whip Candlestick and the Patches’ Crouch gesture. If you only want his Spear +7 and Leather set, kill him in Murkwater Cave after the final step instead.
Where does Patches go after the Shaded Castle?
Back to Murkwater Cave in Limgrave. He attacks you, surrenders almost at once and gives you Patches’ Crouch when you accept.
Where is Patches if he is missing from Volcano Manor?
If you have already beaten Rykard he has moved to the Shaded Castle; after you talk to him there he returns to Murkwater Cave. Reload the area if he does not show up.
Source: walkthrough checked against Fextralife’s Patches page and Game8’s Patches questline guide.
Further reading: Patches on the Fextralife Elden Ring wiki.